Author Interviews for Twisted: A Horror Anthology - Bartholomew Aloiscious

Once upon a time, a few weeks ago, I saw a thing of wonder on my Facebook feed. All authors know of this treasure - the submission request.

Yea, though I saw the submission request, and it was for... HORROR!

A horror anthology by and about women... Hey, I can do that! So I looked through my WIPs (works-in-progress) and my ideas spreadsheet (oh, yes, I do), and I found the perfect thing.

Coming out on Halloween, "Mirror, Mirror" in Twisted: A Horror Anthology!

I am participating in a blog hop type of thing with the other authors involved in this anthology to spread the interviews far and wide. So check out the interview below, as well as the other interview posts!

Name: Bartholomew Aloiscious

Short Bio:

Bartholomew Aloiscious lives with their spouse, four children, and many pets in Williamstown, Vermont. They enjoy family activities, reading, gaming, television and movies, and cooking.

Name of Story Included in Twisted: Blackpool Quarry

Describe the mood of your story/stories: Blackpool Quarry is dark and suspenseful, typical of an urban legend.

Where did you get the inspiration for this piece? The inspiration for Blackpool Quarry came from my daily life. My children are teenagers and my spouse works in a granite quarry.

What is your favorite thing about writing horror? My favorite thing about writing Blackpool Quarry was doing something I had never tried before. I love a challenge. I would eventually like to write in as many genres as possible.

What are you working on now? My current writing focus is on finishing the novel I have been pecking away at for years. Then I can allow the other stories floating around in my head to have the time and attention they deserve.

Other published works? I have a very short story on Amazon called Mary Anna's Journal,  and some poetry on Prose.

Author Interviews for Twisted: A Horror Anthology – Sarah Buhrman

Once upon a time, a few weeks ago, I saw a thing of wonder on my Facebook feed. All authors know of this treasure - the submission request.

Yea, though I saw the submission request, and it was for... HORROR!

A horror anthology by and about women... Hey, I can do that! So I looked through my WIPs (works-in-progress) and my ideas spreadsheet (oh, yes, I do), and I found the perfect thing.

Coming out on Halloween, "Mirror, Mirror" in Twisted: A Horror Anthology!

I am participating in a blog hop type of thing with the other authors involved in this anthology to spread the interviews far and wide. So check out the interview below, as well as the other interview posts!

Name: Sarah Buhrman

Short Bio:        

       I am an AuthorGoddess and freelance writer, specializing in children's stories, business writing, marketing copy, sci-fi/fantasy, and blog articles. An AuthorGoddess is one who embraces the divine honor of creating worlds with words in the hope of inspiring others.

Name of Story Included in Twisted: “Mirror, Mirror”

Describe the mood of your story: Suspenseful, Dramatic

Where did you get the inspiration for this piece?

       I had a dream where I was being chased by a mirror that was eating everyone.

What is your favorite thing about writing horror?

       I like tapping into the primal emotions of people.

What are you working on now?

       Mostly I'm working on The Crystal Wise (sci-fi), Paper Dragons (mid-grade fantasy), The Second Princess (YA fantasy), Fluffy Bunny - book 2 of the Runespells series (urban fantasy), and Threadreader - book 1 of the M.A.G.U.S. series (steampunk/magepunk fantasy).

Other published works?

       Too Wyrd, Book1 of the Runespells series

       When LifeHappens, Don't Blink

       "A Little Dream" in Issue #1 Dreams Eternal magazine

Character Backgrounds

How I see Joseph Andress

I love knowing so much about characters, and I know my own characters the best! But, sometimes, I don't know what I know about the characters until A) someone asks me, or B) I push myself to write some background.

I did some character backgrounds during the Too Wyrd Book Release party on Facebook. It was a lot of fun, and I got to bring out some details that had been rattling around in my head - useless to the plot of the book, but fascinating, otherwise.

One of the characters who came out with something... surprising was that of Joseph. I had known that he wasn't really looking for someone to love, but I never really considered why until I was writing this character background.

The details are wrong for Hound Dog,
but the feel of this image is perfect.

Other character backgrounds that were wonderfully insightful were those of Hound Dog and Detective Ames.

It's always quite satisfying when writing something about a character, even something so simple and quick, can make the author cry.

That's right, I was crying.

Apparently, it made others tear up a bit, too.

Check out the character backgrounds and much more on my website, authorgoddess.com

Duel to the Death: the Hunter of Voramis vs Mercy (a bit of fun)!

I, Sarah Buhrman, challenge you, Andy Peloquin, to a duel to the death! But it is not we who will fight, but our characters…

In the yellow corner, we have Mercy the Valkyrie!

Tale of the Tape:

• Carries a bowie knife that transforms into a sword
• Master of virtually all fighting styles, having been on earth for hundreds of years doing Odin’s bidding.
• She is a god-creature, an extension of Odin, she has no soul and cannot be killed–she is simply absorbed and re-manifested through Odin.
• Mercy is protective, determined and compassionate – for a Valkyrie. Mercy is a manifestation of Odin’s empathy for humanity.

In the black corner, weighing in at 180 pounds, standing a cool 6 feet tall, the Hunter of Voramis!

Tale of the Tape:

• Superhuman reflexes, strength, speed–think Captain America, but stronger
• Thousands of years of weapons training
• Body has accelerated healing factor–can survive a sword to the heart (can be killed by drowning, iron weapons, beheading, and suffocation)
• Cannot be killed by anything but iron
• Accursed dagger that heals him when he kills
• No magical abilities whatsoever
• No hesitation to kill if he perceives opponent as a threat/obstacle to his desires–classic anti-hero

Two enter the ring, only one can leave alive!

How would Mercy kill the Hunter? Valkyrie weapons are made of cold-iron, as that is a primary weakness of the Jotun, the ice and fire giants, enemies of the Aesir and of Odin. Mercy recently finished helping Nicola begin her quest, leading her sister-Valkyrie in battle against not-so-good-ol’-Bob and his demons, given to him by Jehovah (at least, they are pretty sure it’s Jehovah). She has experience with demon-kind and with monstrous creatures, and she will simply fight until the enemy is defeated. That’s what the Valkyrie do.

To kill Mercy: The Hunter would try to overwhelm her with his inhuman speed, strength, and skill. All he has to do is pierce her skin with Soulhunger, and the dagger will consume her soul. Not even someone with considerable magical abilities can survive Soulhunger’s bite–it was created to kill demons.

Who would win?

Faced with the almighty power of Odin’s messenger, one who wields the cold-iron (the Hunter’s weakness) of the Aesir, the Hunter would grit his teeth and fight until his last breath. With no soul for Soulhunger to consume, he would have no way to heal himself from the iron’s poison.

Winner: Mercy. Not even the Hunter can withstand the power of the gods.

Find out more about the legendary assassin of Voramis who would dare challenge a Valkyrie to the death!

Want to find out more about the legendary assassin of Voramis who would dare challenge a Valkyrie to the death? Click here to read about him…

Who do YOU think would win? Did we get the match-up right? Leave a comment below and let me know.

Find out more about Mercy, the Valkyrie warrior, in Too Wyrd.